Dean Perrow enjoyed several opportunities in a scrappy encounter, but a missed penalty for the striker began the downturn for the Scholars as the Mariners completed a league double over the Scholars, the visitors’ woes compounded by an injury to captain Richard Teesdale.

In cold but dry conditions, Marine started in bright and attacking fashion forcing Darren Acton into an early save from a Neil Harvey cross, while a Ben Jevons attack from the right for the Scholars was flagged offside.

Several more chances were created by the Mariners with Barbados international Harvey looking potent down the centre, before Ramone Stephens burst down the centre and flicked a well-timed ball across to Perrow who was dispossessed by Jonathan Goulding at the point of shooting.

Two dangerously placed free kicks for the hosts came to nothing as the pace began to quicken, prolific goalscorer Jamie Rainford firing inches wide of the far post on 21 minutes while Perrow fired high and wide moments later.

Five minutes later Perrow was brought down entering the box and stepped up to take the resultant spot-kick, but Ryan McMahon palmed away the striker’s effort and Mark Branch blasted the rebound high and wide.

The Mariners continued to keep Chasetown on their toes, Harvey crossing to Goulding on the half hour but his shot went wide, and Goulding was unlucky again moments later as his shot rebounded off the bar with the follow-up just kept out by the Scholars defence.

McMahon then stopped Branch’s free kick before Rainford again missed the target by inches from the left, and yet another of the striker’s efforts was then pushed over the bar by Acton.

Though both sides produced fast-paced football and created chances, neither could quite find the back of the net. Richard Davies burst through in the closing minutes of the half but namesake Tony Davies produced a good tackle and denied the Telford loanee at the point of shooting to ensure the half ended goalless.

Richard Davies headed away an early Marine attack as the second half began, but the pace would prove somewhat less frantic than before the break although Acton made a couple of good saves and McMahon dived low to deny Gary Birch on 53 minutes.

Acton was well alert just past the hour mark as he got down low to stop Thomas Moore’s header following a free kick, but moments later a corner from Steven Hussey swung over the heads of everyone in the area and curled in at the far post to give the Mariners the lead.

Ramone Stephens challenges for the ball. Pic: Dave Birt

Six minutes later and the hosts’ lead was doubled, a corner from the opposite side finding Moore at the far post and he headed home Marine’s second.

Harvey then unleashed a mazy run down the left to outfox Teesdale but Acton was able to hang onto his shot, while Rainford was seemingly fated not to score and hit the side netting with ten minutes to go.

Branch struck a free kick well but McMahon tipped the ball over the bar, and Marine closed the game down as Chasetown played the last three minutes with ten men after Teesdale departed with a hamstring injury, although in the last minute the numbers were evened up when Moore was red-carded for a second bookable offence.

Chasetown now look forward to a trip to Nantwich Town next Saturday (January 8), 3pm kick-off.